A boy from the streets
by Arissos
Summary: A story about Artemis Entreris's past. All the facts are not correct but please don't mind, I don't :
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: The 'known' characters in this story are not my own. They are property of R.A. Salvatore and I am not trying to make profit by using them. The other characters I have simply made up.  
  
  
  
  
  
The two soldiers were angry and wished to have nothing to do with this so- called assignment. Just an hour ago their leader, pasha Basadoni, had ordered them to kill a boy, one pathetic boy. It was hard for the soldiers to take this assignment seriously, but they were not so foolish that they would have objected pasha Basadoni. And so they walked towards the poorer sections of Calimport, as the night grew darker.  
  
A while later they were in a dark alley where Basadoni had instructed them. There were no sign of any boy there.  
  
"Stupid kid, probably hiding in those stinking sewers" said the younger soldier as he pointed to a grid, "There is no way I will go down there. This is a stupid mission."  
  
"Basadoni has his reasons, which are not for you to question. Just let's get this thing over with." Said Martin, a skilled veteran of the guild, who had learned to obey his pasha without questioning, a lesson his companion should learn quick if he was to live long.  
  
"We don't have to go down there, pasha said it would be likely that the boy would be here before midnight, we still have two hours to go. We will wait."  
  
The boy in question was not in the sewers. He was on the roof. He was maybe fourteen years old and thin with long black messy hair that had not been washed too often, though one could clearly see that it was not filthy and the boy washed it at least sometimes. The clothes he had were cheap and dirty, typical for someone that lived in the streets of Calimport. No one would look him twice, for there was nothing that special about him. Except for his eyes. Those eyes that were black and sharp. It was almost as the boy would have created a strong black wall for his own protection, with the exception that this wall was not solely for defence.  
  
The boy, Artemis, had listened to soldiers. He was not surprised that some strangers were in his current home street, it happened all the time. Usually the boy would steal their money and valuables as their weapons, but this time he knew this was not a random encounter. He now knew why they had come, and now he knew who they were. The Basadoni guild.  
  
The very first lessons for the poor and homeless in Calimport was to learn the current guild situation and which were the strongest at the moment. The Basadoni was the strongest. Artemis was puzzled. Surely the mighty guild would not have any interest to him, for he was only a young thief and had no actual property. Artemis tried to think what he could have done. He had killed four men during his life, and two of them had been unknown to him. This had to have something to do with them, but Entreri could not see the connection. He had killed them because he had to. The other had tried to rob and kill him and had been about the same age as Artemis, that clumsy thief could not be the connection. Artemis had killed him without any weapon and then stolen the dead boys crude dagger.  
  
The other was a man Artemis had tried to rob. The man had noticed the theft somehow and charged Artemis. Artemis had thrown his dagger and it had hit his chest. This had happened nearby and could be the connection. Maybe the man had worked for Basadoni. It would explain why the man had been skilled enough to notice Artemis, not an easy task because Artemis was very skilled in thievery. Whatever the case, Artemis would have to defend himself; it was impossible to hide in Calimport when you were targeted by a guild as strong as Basadoni. Artemis thought about leaving the city immediately, but he didn't want to run like a coward. The soldiers were sitting on top of a few old boxes unaware of Artemis with their swords drawn. They really thought that they could catch the boy even if he noticed their swords. The soldiers had chosen a relatively safe place where they couldn't be surprised easily, but they were not that alert. Artemis climbed nimbly down from the roof and disappeared in the shadows. With a skill that a boy of his age shouldn't have Artemis moved easily behind the soldiers and simply stood in a little darker place between two boxes. Then he paused for a while and drew his only dagger. He felt his adrenalin level increase as he prepared for the kill.  
  
"This is stupid", the younger soldier said. He had never had that much patience.  
  
The older soldier was calmly waiting with his hand close to his sword and ignored the comment. He looked at the young soldier and wondered if he had to kill two stupid boys tonight.  
  
The night was quiet and hot and there was not a single sound to be heard. It was almost too quiet, as if the whole city was waiting for something. The veteran stood up, for the unnatural silence made him cautious, and at the same moment his companions face expression turned from bored to horrified. Artemis Entreri had struck only once and with that one accurate strike he had passed the young soldiers chain mail and caused a critical wound that would surely end the mans life soon.  
  
When the young man collapsed to the ground Artemis had already disappeared behind one of the boxes. Martin had reacted quickly and jumped over a box and swinged his sword downwards to where he supposed Artemis to be. He was completely surprised that the boy had managed to surprise him that easily and kill his companion with a one well-placed strike. And his respect for the boy only increased as his sword hit only air. Martin quickly started to move away from the box pile because he understood that this stealthy boy would have advantage there. He would not underestimate him anymore.  
  
Artemis held his newly obtained high quality short sword and was marvelled how light it actually was. He had used only dagger so far in his life and the sword felt little strange in his hand. It seemed good enough for him though and a simple dagger would not probably be that useful against a bigger and probably highly skilled opponent as well; especially in an open ground.  
  
Artemis was only a boy from the street, but he was not a coward. And he really had nothing to lose. So he decided to step from the shadows and fight the soldier openly.  
  
Martin saw Artemis stepping from the shadows and he could also see that despite of his age Artemis was not scared or even nervous. The stance told that he had good balance but also that it was mainly a defensive stance. The boy probably hadn't have any real training and it was interesting to notice that the boy was going to fight with two weapons at the same time. It was not common for any fighter in Calimport. Still Martin knew that this boy was a dangerous opponent. But Martin was an experienced fighter and the boy was a rookie.  
  
Martin quickly charged and made a fake strike to right while he sidestepped to left leaving him totally vulnerable but also knowing that the strike would come. Artemis blocked the strike with his sword and plunged his dagger forward towards Martin's chest. If Artemis would have been a more experienced and faster fighter, the strike might have been successful. But now he hesitated for a moment and Martin was ready. He used his free hand and hit Artemis' wrist to deflect the strike and moved his left leg behind Artemis and tried to push Artemis backwards with his hand. Artemis had expected a trick of that kind, it actually had caused him to hesitate his strike, and when Martin pushed him, he ducked and kicked the older man to his groin. The kick was not really powerful, for Artemis couldn't push it because he wanted to stay in balance, but the kick was accurate. For a short moment Martin could not press his sword anymore and Artemis made a lightning fast sweep with his own and hit Martin's neck. After the man had fallen to the ground Artemis pierced his heart with a dagger, just to be sure that Martin would not survive from the massive wound.  
  
Artemis searched the corpses but didn't find anything except for a few coins. He took them as well as the dead man's sword and boots and disappeared to the shadows. His heart was beating heavily from the excitement and he needed to find a safe place where he could think about his situation.  
  
  
  
"Incredible", pasha Basadoni said after Artemis had killed his two men. Val Arnelan, a wizard, closed the scrying circle and waited for further instructions.  
  
"Do you want the boy to be killed?" Val asked after a moment of silence.  
  
"No, not this one...there is something about him, something different. Make sure he doesn't leave the city and prepare yourself and your apprentice. He might be useful. I want this boy in our guild."  
  
"How many soldiers do we need?" Val said. He was mainly a battle mage and thought that he could handle the boy all by himself.  
  
Basadoni was quiet for a while. He then turned to his wizard and smiled.  
  
"How many do we have?" 


	2. Choice

It was little past midnight and Artemis was sleeping in an empty old house near the wall. He was in the middle of the room because he did not wish to sleep in the corner. It was much easier to act quickly if one had some space. The only room of the house was small and had no furniture except for an old shelf and a chair, which both were broken. Artemis had not slept for a whole days and was tired. He might have been a lot of things, but he still needed his rest. The previous fight had left him tired because of the tension it had caused.   
  
Val Arnelan examined the house from outside. There was only one door but there were two windows also. The wizard had brought nine soldiers with him and also his apprentice, who had been responsible for boosting the soldiers with various spells. Val Arnelan concentrated and cast a force field to block another window and motioned two soldiers behind the other. The soldiers had the ordinary swords and knives but they also carried a large and strong net, which they were to throw on Artemis if he for some reason would try to escape. All these precautions were made because pasha Basadoni had ordered so.  
  
One soldier carefully tried the door, it was locked from inside. He motioned to another who picked his tools and started to work on the lock. This soldier was an expert in picking locks and disarming traps. The lock was old and caused little trouble for the skilled soldier and the door was unlocked in less than minute. The soldier then quickly studied if there were any traps in the door, but found nothing, so he was about to open the door but the wizard's apprentice motioned him to stop. Val Arnelan was amused when his talented apprentice cast a spell that would detect traps. There was a trap in the door after all. It had been well hidden so the soldier hadn't found it: For his luck the young wizard was a careful one. Another proof that soldiers where nothing compared to wizards Val Arnelan thought.   
  
"Well done LaValle." Val Arnelan gave credit to his apprentice. The apprentice simply nodded and told the soldier the location of the trap. LaValle thought about using a spell to get rid of the trap, but the soldier should be able to do it now that he knew where to look for. It took several minutes from the soldier to disarm the trap, but he managed to do it.  
  
"This trap was well done" the soldier whispered after the task was done. "Even I couldn't have done it better."   
  
Val Arnelan said nothing to that obvious statement. Of course the trap was well done. How else could the soldier have missed it?  
  
"Come on, the force field won't last forever. Let's get inside." Val Arnelan said and one of the soldiers opened the door and stepped in followed by others. Two men quickly moved to right and two to left. The others stayed in front of Val Arnelan and his apprentice and protected them.  
  
  
  
Like every child that grew up in streets, Artemis also was very aware of his surroundings when he was at sleep. There were always some that would not even hesitate killing children in their beds and Artemis was not actually a child anymore. He had heard something. Something that he could not quite determine what it was, but already at this age he had learned to trust his instincts. Not only did he hear something but Artemis also felt something in the air, something new and strange that felt like cold raindrops in his own skin. After he thought about it he knew that that this feeling was not that strange after all. He had felt something a bit similar when he had seen a priest heal a city guard that had been injured by a thief. It was magic.  
  
There was a sound at the door. Artemis knew that his trap had been detected and would not protect him anymore. He turned to a window but saw that there was something strange outside, as the air would have turned to a sort of jelly. He didn't dare to try his luck there and guessed that escaping from the other window would probably be useless as well. Before Artemis could think anything else it was too late. There were two wizards and seven men in his hideout. Artemis drew his sword and dagger but knew that this was a battle he could not win. Maybe he could kill one or two of them but what would he accomplish by that. To his own surprise he wasn't scared. Artemis looked at the older wizard that seemed to be the leader of this group.  
  
"You must be Basadoni's guild wizard. Are you here to kill me?" Artemis said as he tried to figure a way to get out of this mess alive. He had guessed that this wizard was experienced and had to be powerful because he seemed to be completely in control of this situation.  
  
"You don't have to die today. But that can be arranged if you are foolish enough to attack us." Val Arnelan said calmly and answered the question. He was a bit irritated that the boy knew who he was and seemed to be completely prepared for this meeting but he hid it well.   
  
"You are nothing but a homeless thief. However, we are willing to offer you a place in our guild. What do you say? " Val Arnelan went straight to the business. There was no reason to intimidate this boy and the wizard felt that it would probably be useless anyway. Deep inside Val Arnelan wished that this boy would reject so that he could kill him. Val Arnelan had prepared many spells because his pasha had insisted so and he hoped that he could use at least some of them.   
  
"You would be wise to accept our proposal." The younger wizard continued since Artemis gave no answer and his tone revealed that there was only one correct answer to this 'proposal'.   
  
"Do I have a choice?" Artemis said with a smile as he turned to Val Arnelan and sheathe his weapons. This was actually a good turn of events. He would be trained and protected. It was not as Artemis thought that he would need any protection but he understood the benefits that he would gain by working for Basadoni guild. Besides, almost anything was better than living in the streets.  
  
  
*** Ok, I just wanted to get this part over with; it was a bit long maybe since "nothing happened". (Sorry, no fighting this time) But I will try to write more when / if I come up with some new ideas. 


	3. Teacher

Artemis had been given new clothes since pasha Basadoni didn't want his guild members to look like beggars. Artemis now had black pants and black shirt with grey cloak. The clothes were good and Artemis noticed that he enjoyed having something proper to wear for the first time in many years. Basadoni had not given any actual tasks to Artemis and he could spend his time pretty much as he pleased. After the first day Artemis had found his way to weapon- and practice room. There he met Timothy Colbert.  
  
Timothy was almost middle-aged and tall. He was in charge of teaching the art of fighting to members of Basadoni guild. He was, of course, highly skilled and could effectively use almost any weapon known. He had taught many, more than he could remember, and there had not once been any student that could match his skill.  
  
Artemis was different. He did not only match Timothy's skill but exceeded it. The ability that this young man had was something that Timothy had never witnessed. Especially the way Artemis could learn every move that Timothy showed was incredible. Artemis only needed to see the moves once or twice before he could perfectly do them himself. And not only did he manage do them the way his teacher did, he could also improvise those moves and make them better. This way the lessons were useful to Timothy also.  
  
Timothy knew that he could not teach this man very long, he was not skilled enough. Timothy was not envy to Artemis since he was loyal to the guild and understood his position in it. He was also very proud of the work he did and was always happy to see the skill his students had. It had only been a month since Artemis had joined the guild and started his fighting lessons but there was not much more to be taught. Especially since Timothy fought with one sword. As soon as Timothy had realised this he had went to pasha Basadoni and told this fact. Basadoni was not surprised but pleased instead and had told Timothy to continue his lessons as long as possible.  
  
Artemis easily deflected the strikes that his teacher made. Both men were protected by stone skin spell because of safety reasons. The practice usually lasted for a long time so the spell had to be done again after a period of time. One of the guild wizards did it first but it was usual that LaValle did the needed spell later on. LaValle was not an actual member of the guild, since Basadoni didn't need any more wizards but he had not yet chosen a guild to join in. It would probably be a guild that was allied (or at least in friendly terms) with Basadoni. LaValle was smart enough not to anger the Basadoni guild by joining a hostile guild. Besides, Val Arnelan was a good wizard and had still a lot to teach. Of course the stone skin spell could only take a number of hits and it was quite common that Timothy needed an extra spell before the duration of the spell had ended.  
  
  
  
  
  
Artemis really enjoyed these lessons. He quickly realised the beauty that his graceful movements created and came almost addicted to the feeling he felt every time he picked up his sword and dagger. The feeling that made his heart beat faster and helped him to forget everything else. Artemis could spend hours and hours in the practice room and he never felt tired or bored.  
  
Timothy was enjoying when he noticed this. He had never had any student this skilled and this determined. The talent Artemis had could not be denied, but Artemis was also eager to learn more. Every morning when Timothy came to the practice room Artemis was already practising alone. Timothy didn't want to interrupt his student but no matter how quietly he came to the room Artemis always noticed it and that way they always started their practice.  
  
After one practice Timothy asked Artemis in his room. The teacher knew that he had done all he could.  
  
"You fight well" Timothy said and sighted. "I cannot teach you much longer. You are already better than I am. I only hope that you use your skill the right way."  
  
Artemis nodded for the compliment. He knew this already but respected his teacher and his effort so he did not say anything.  
  
"There is however at least one more thing that I can still do for you. Your sword is fine, but a warrior of your skill needs something better. The one that you carry is a bit too heavy for your style of fighting and could also be better balanced. "  
  
Artemis examined his sword he had picked from the dead Basadoni-soldier and had to agree.  
  
Timothy paused for a while and opened a wooden chest and picked a peace of garment that obviously held a sword in it. Timothy placed the garment to his desk and unwrapped the sword. It was a short sword and there was also a scabbard for it. The sword looked like any other sword, but one could easily tell that it was made with fine craftsmanship.  
  
"This sword is not magical and it has no special abilities but it is a good sword. I got it from my own teacher and I have used it in battles in the past. It is light and very sharp. I believe it will fit you well. It is my gift for you, for these lessons and for all that you have taught me. Your dagger is also poor, but I cannot help you with that." Timothy continued and handed the sword to Artemis who picked it up and bowed low.  
  
Artemis felt the perfect balance of the sword and knew that this weapon would make him even better fighter.  
  
"Pasha Basadoni wished to see you. I met him yesterday. Perhaps it is time to test your skills in action." Timothy said.  
  
Artemis was ready if that was the case. He placed the sword to his side and shook hands with his teacher. He then left the practice room for the last time.  
  
  
  
  
  
**** Ok. I am really busy at the moment. But I try to write more( like it or not(). I personally would have wished to write more about Artemis' teacher but I think I can come up with something later on if I get too irritated about this short chapter. *** 


	4. Mission

"Artemis Entreri.  I trust you have learnt a great deal from Timothy. He is a good teacher and one of our best fighters. " Pasha Basadoni said as a greeting when Artemis entered his room. 

Basadoni was sitting on a huge chair, which was finely carved and had a lot of pillows in it. He had a servant, a young woman, next to him who held a tray and was ready to serve wine to her pasha if he requested it. The room was luxurious and showed clearly how much wealth the Basadoni guild had. Most found it difficult not to look at the riches that the room had but Artemis only looked at them casually and then ignored them. Basadoni noticed this and was surprised, this young man was poor and this was surely the first time he saw anything this valuable. It was strange that all these riches didn't seem important to this man. 

Pasha Basadoni was quite puzzled. He was a guild master and he always knew how to control his guild members, whether it was by promises or by intimidating. Something about this man showed that he could not be controlled that way. 

"But a young man has a young heart and practice is only practice. " Basadoni continued and decided to act nice. Perhaps he could learn more about Artemis that way. 

"There is a mage, Tores Andelyn. He is a former member of our guild but decided to leave us. He is a bad example for other members. And not only that, but he also stole a quite valuable spell book, which Val Arnelan wishes to be returned. Anyway, I'm sure you understand why I wish him dead."

Artemis could see why Basadoni wanted this man dead. It was a matter of pride. Basadoni could not accept this kind of behaviour and the reasons were obvious. But there was the theft also, and that was the more important thing in Artemis' mind. There is honour among thieves and it was not acceptable to steal from your own. For this reason Artemis accepted the task, but he told nothing of his thoughts to Basadoni. He didn't need to know the motives, only that the task would be done. Basadoni could not give that many other instructions but he told some trivial information about the man, Tores. Artemis could not care less but listened anyway, he had seen this mage before a few weeks earlier and that was enough for him.

The streets were dark and the townsfolk asleep. This was the time for the thieves and murderers, when nobody walked without a weapon. Artemis moved quickly from one roof to another. He jumped over the narrow streets and landed softly so that the people living under the roof could hear nothing at all. The roofs were the best way to move in Calimport and they were also safer than the streets. It was much more common to be killed by a thief who cut your throat in order to steal your money than to die from an arrow. After a few more roofs Artemis reached "Bad Ale", a tavern that served extremely good wines but terrible ale. Artemis entered the tavern.

The tavern was clean and small with round tables and dark corners. There were only five customers and of course the tavern keeper as well. This was a common tavern for mages. Not the best, but very popular. 

"I don't want any trouble here." Tavern keeper started as Artemis made his way to the desk.

"And you will get none, if you can only answer a simple question. I'm looking for Tores Andelyn, have you seen him?" Artemis went straight to business. He didn't actually think that the tavern keeper would tell even if he knew something about the whereabouts of the man but Artemis was very good in reading peoples impressions and he thought that the tavern keeper would revile something by accident.

"I don't know that mage." The keeper answered a bit too fast and Artemis knew that this was a lie. 

"I never said he was a mage." Artemis continued with a little smile.

The tavern keeper paused for a while, obviously thinking a way to explain his error.

"If you come here to ask for someone, it is clear that you are asking for a mage, since this is a tavern mainly for mages." 

"It is odd that you do not know this mage. After all, it is commonly known that this is his favourite tavern. And besides, I saw him leaving this place yesterday. So why don't you tell me the truth and guide me to him." Artemis continued. He hadn't seen Tores leave the tavern and had just assumed that the man might have been here yesterday, and the look at the tavern keeper's face showed that the guess had been right.

The tavern keeper, Matthew, was a big middle-aged man. He understood that it would be bad for business if people started to talk that he couldn't shut his mouth when needed. On the other hand he didn't want to risk his own life, many of the assassins in Calimport had a bad temper and were always eager to use their swords. Matthew looked at this young man that had quite neatly caught him of a lie and saw a young assassin that probably wasn't strong enough to take out Tores. Especially since the man was alert. There was strength in this young man that puzzled Matthew, but after a moment Matthew thought that it would be best to stay out of this. He gave Artemis what he wanted.

A long while later Artemis had made his way to the hideout of his pray. The big mansion where Tores was hiding was located a few miles outside of town. High wall surrounded the mansion and there was only one gate. There were two guards there and they seemed to take their duties seriously. The gate was locked and there was no way one could break it. Artemis might have been able to pick the big lock but in order to do that he would have to kill the guards. Artemis had no idea how good fighters they were and he didn't take any chances, and he wished to stay unnoticed anyway. 

The wall was easy to climb over. At least it was to Artemis who practically sprung over the wall by using his right leg to jump from the wall and then placing himself against the wall by grabbing the few lines that combined the stones together with his strong fingers. Artemis then easily climbed the rest of the wall, and only paused for a second to look down before he jumped. He landed softly to the yard unnoticed by the guards.

There were many doors in the mansion, and Artemis decided to use the main door. It was likely that there were some detection spells or some kind of protection in the others. The only trouble in using the main door was that it was directly in line with the main gate. The guards were looking outside but they might look behind them, though it was unlikely. Artemis decided to take a chance. He run to the door and picked the lock easily. Artemis didn't look at the guards at the gate, after all what use would it be. If they would notice him he would know it. Artemis opened the door a bit, only just enough to fit through it. He closed the door behind him and saw that there were ten men in the hall where he now entered. The men were all guards and they were sitting in a table and playing dice. They hadn't heard anything and didn't look at Artemis who pressed his back to a wall and slide to left until he reached the corner. The room was lighted with huge torches and had several dark spots where a stealthy man could hide. Artemis didn't stay in the corner for long; he had noticed that it was the first place where people tended to look when they suspected something. Artemis took few more silent steps and stopped next to statue. A place where peoples look tended to go for the statue, not for its shadow.

The mage had to be upstairs and the stairs were next to a wall on the opposite direction where the soldiers were. Good luck there again. Artemis waited for several minutes and was just about to make his way to upstairs when the two of the guards stood up and started towards the door. They were probably about to release their companions and star their turn as "gate guards". A while after the men had stepped out from the door Artemis continued to the stairs and gently ran the stairs up as silently as possible. The stairs had a carpet on them and it helped Artemis since it took away some sounds. At the same moment as he reached the last two steps the two guards that had been on the gate entered the room and caught the attention of others.

Artemis stood in a corridor. There were three doors, one at the end and one at each side. Artemis thought about this for a while and came to conclusion that the one at the right or left was the room of the wizard. The one at the end probably belonged to the owner of this mansion. Artemis stopped to examine the left door before he touched it. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it, but that didn't make Artemis feel any safer. Magic was hard to detect if it was used carefully. Artemis still had not that much options. And he thought it to be unlikely that the door was trapped since almost anyone could touch it by accident on ones way to the mansion owner. He tried to open the door but it was locked. The lock was simple and Artemis picked it in few seconds. He stepped in and saw Tores sleeping. Artemis crept next to the wizard and slit his throat with his dagger. The mage was dead. Artemis laughed. This was stupid. The idiotic mage had made no protection spells and was completely unprepared. Entreri shook his head and turned around to leave. 

"Mr Andelyn", came a call from the door, "I have brought your breakfast as you requested"

Artemis froze. There were no windows in this room. He would have to get out the same way he came. Artemis thought about mimicking the mages voice but he had no idea how the man sounded. So he kept himself quiet and cursed the now dead mage for eating breakfast this early, it wasn't even morning yet.

"Mr Andelyn", the voice was louder this time. After still no answer the servant used his key and opened the door.

"I will leave the breakfast at your desk" the man said and moved to the small wooden desk that was in the room. The servant couldn't see Artemis who was hiding behind the door. Artemis waited for the man to leave but the servant had other ideas. He went to Tores and tried to wake him up by shaking him. Then he noticed the blood. Artemis cursed. He jumped the servant but was too late.

"Alert!!…Alert!!" were screamed loudly before Artemis jabbed his dagger into servant's heart.

"Now a servant shouldn't enter a room unless asked to." Artemis whispered into servants ear as the last of his life left him.

There was no time to waste. Artemis ran to the corridor and downstairs. The guards attacked him. Each of them was holding a broad sword and two of the men went for the crossbows that were placed to a table near the main door. Artemis picked a throwing knife from his boot and threw it at one guard who fell down dead. Six men immediately surrounded Artemis but before they had time to do any offensive moves Artemis had killed one of them. There were still eight guards left. One more went for the crossbows as the five attacked. Artemis whirled 360 degree and used his blades to gain some room but the benefit was momentary. Artemis shifted his balance from one leg to another as he avoided a low sweep and a jab from behind. Artemis desperately tried to avoid from being hit. He took a terrible risk and somersaulted under two sweeps and managed to reach the wall but caught a small wound to his left leg. This place was far easier to defend as only three or four man could attack him at once but now it was also possible for the crossbowmen to shoot him. Lucky for Artemis the guards were not used to fight together and so they couldn't use their numbers that effectively.

Artemis deflected the powerful blows if necessary but mainly tried defending himself by moving away from strikes by altering his stance and balance. He caught a few wounds but all of them were only scratches. Artemis was looking at the three crossbowmen and his hands were using his blades without that he had to put any thought to it. Then one of the crossbowmen was about to shoot. Artemis could see the change in mans face impression and he gave one of the guards an opening by furiously attacking the three others who were caught by surprise by the sudden attack. The man stepped forward in order to slice Artemis into two by a two hand vertical swipe. All this happened so quickly that the crossbowman made his shot as he thought it would hit Artemis. It struck the wall between Artemis and the guard behind him and startled the man, which caused him to hold back his swipe. 

Artemis spun around and made three lightning fast strikes that were too fast for the guard to deflect and threw the dying guard to the three other guards and jumped to the man that had been in reserve. Two bolts were shot but they didn't hit Artemis who pressed his attack to the right side of the guard. Too fast for the guard to counter Artemis turned his back to the guard as he held his sword to keep the guards sword at left leaving the right side totally open for the dagger that pierced the guards lungs. Artemis dodged immediately after his killing blow and avoided a bolt that hit the dying guard just in time to fight the three guards he had distracted earlier.

This all seemed too easy and Artemis was almost smiling. This was all what he had wanted. He could sense the frustration and even fear in the guards and he enjoyed it. Artemis quickly pressed his attack and managed to push two of the guards back a bit but he also caught a crossbow bolt to his side, which was first serious wound Artemis had caught during the battle. The hit wasn't perfect and pierced through Artemis' side but it hurt like hell. Artemis tried to ignore it for he knew that he now had a while to go one-on-one against a single guard. Artemis made four fast strikes that aimed higher and higher and forced the guard to keep his sword high. Artemis then quickly kicked the man to his stomach and as the man bended over he caught Artemis' knee to his face. As the guard was falling to the floor Artemis was already ready for the next attack. 

He saw a bolt coming and managed to swipe it away with his sword. He took yet another chance and deflected the two guards with his sword alone as he threw his dagger to one of the crossbowmen. The throw hit the man in the stomach and he fell to the floor and it also caused other crossbowman to lose his aim as he jumped away from the throw just in case. 

Artemis backed away wisely since he now had only one weapon but the remaining two guards surrounded him. Both men attacked at the same time, other from behind and other from the front. The guard in front made a sweep upwards from right to left and the one behind downwards from right to left. Artemis quickly stepped backwards and used his head to hit the guard in the chin since the guard was a bit taller than Artemis. He was now too close to the guard that the swipes could hit him. Artemis threw the guard over his shoulder and caused the last one to move back a step. He immediately followed his throw and made a fast swipe with his sword as he stepped forward. The strike hit only air but Artemis managed to punch the guard to his nose. The guard briefly lost his balance and Artemis plunged his sword through the man. He couldn't defend himself if the guard would somehow have strength to make an attack but the sword fell to the floor harmlessly. Artemis used the dead man to deflect a crossbow bolt and then viciously kicked the man to the floor.

"Drop your crossbows or die." Artemis said as cold as he could. 

The two remaining guards had seen all their companions slaughtered and they knew that they could get only one shot before this man would reach them. They did as they were told. Artemis walked to them and killed them.

"Fools" Artemis said to himself. He then made sure everyone was dead and went upstairs to get the spell book he had forgotten earlier. He looked for some healing potions also but found none. He was tired and had many wounds so he didn't press his luck and crept away from the mansion and didn't engage the two guards at the gate who hadn't heard a thing since the yard was big and the front door far away. Artemis climbed over the wall and left the same way he had came.


	5. What now?

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Ok, back from about a two year break. Been busy etc. But I haven't forgot the forgotten realms so I think I might give it a go, nothing drastic now, just something to get started with. Truth to tell, I have somewhat forgotten about some plots I had in mind when I started, but the main idea should be still in my head. And yes, the plot does not follow any of Salvatores books that much, but I hope that doesn't matter. And the standard, disclaimer, I do not own the 'known' characters and I am not trying to make profit by using the characters in this fanfic..

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Chapter 5: What now? 

Pasha Basadoni was having a guild meeting in his luxurious private chambers. There were only few people who had the opportunity to visit these rooms of the Basadoni guild house and all of them were present at the moment, except for the cleaners of course. Val Arnelan, the guild wizard, was holding a golden goblet and tasting his wine with not too much enthusiasm. Basadoni had also requested the presence of his two lieutnants, Elyan and Anile.

Elyan was a thin man in his mid thirties with a presence that was easily ignored, his only weapon was a dagger, he was not a man that had to know how to fight, his true weapon was his sharp mind. Most who met him hardly paid any attention to this man, who was propably the best man in whole Calimport to gather information. Basadoni understood his value and held him in high regard. Elyan had surprisingly blond hair for a man that was born and raised in Calimport, since majority of habitants had darker hair and skin. Elyan had used his information network and even visited the place, where Enteri's first assignment took place. He had just finished his briefing and was waiting for response from Basadoni.

On the other hand, Anile was completely different. She was beutiful and knew it. Her outfit was always one that paid attention and everyone remembered her for weeks after they met her. Anile was the prime assassin of the guild and one of the best in whole Calimshan. A female assassin was not as common as a male, but it was not unheard of, many of the female assassins of Calimport used different methods in order to finish their assignments though. Anile wanted her killings to be personal and with few exceptions she battled her preys one on one. She carried an enchanted short sword and an old long sword, also magical.

"He killed all of them?" Basadoni asked somewhat surprised.

"Well, not the two on the gate", Elyan said. "But all the others are dead, also the mage is dead and the book is returned."

"But he defeated so many man, how could he have pulled it of?", Basadoni pressed. He had high hopes for Artemis, but this was not something he had thought of. Perhaps he had no true knowledge of this young man after all.

"It is not that odd", Anile stated. "The men he killed were poorly trained and not used to fighting, recent requits. There are at least a dozen man in this city alone, who could have bested them. And few females too", she added with a short smile and continued.

"Actually, the task was not a complete success, he was not unnoticed, even if no-one outside this room knows who the killer was. He had luck that the captain was at gate, since he was the only capable fighter in the whole mansion. But he survived, many talented assassins have been killed in their first assignment. Surviving is what matters at the end. And the task."

"Indeed", Basadoni said and tasted his wine. "What suggestions do you have?" he continued without explaining his words, everyone understood who he was referring to.

"Well, he is a natural assassin.", Elyan said. "But that doesn't mean he is ready. We could keep him as our second-in-line assassin, he is skilled enough. But I think we should let Anile train him, she is the most obvious choice, since she is the only member of our guild who is skilled enough. And more importantly, since Artemis uses two blades, we should let him train with someone who can fight the same way."

"It would be interesting", Anile said to Basadoni's surprise. Basadoni knew that Anile was an amazing fighter, but he had expected that she wouldn't have been that interested to teach someone. Anile read the question on her pashas face. "I could need a challenge", was all she said.

"Then it is settled, no new assignments for our young man. For now at least.", Basadoni said. "Anile, you know your task, so this meeting is at end."

"I expect reports of his progress of course", Basadoni added as he ended the guild meeting.

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Ok, as I said only short text to re-start with. If there are some trouble with my English (big mistakes mainly) please let me know, since I haven't actually written in English for a while 


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